BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to bicycle brake devices and, more particularly,
to bicycle brake shoe holders.
[0002] Among the shoe holders for caliper brakes used on road racing bicycles, a type that
has tire guide components is known such as that shown in GB 1 276 561 A. These tire
guide components are provided in order to guide the wheel through the brake arch when
the wheel must be replaced due to the occurrence of a flat tire, damage to the rim,
or the like during a road race, which allows the wheel to be set in the fork more
quickly.
[0003] In the past, a tire guide component of this type extended integrally or separately
from the portion of the shoe holder that supported the brake shoe in the wheel center
direction. The tire guide component was bent in the middle so as to form a convex
component on the rim side, thus resulting in a distal end that opened outward. When
a tire guide component such as this is provided, the wheel is guided to the convex
component merely by being inserted from the open distal end, and the wheel can be
guided into the brake arch more easily.
[0004] Some bicycle wheel rims are made, for example, from a carbon fiber-reinforced resin
for reduced air resistance. Such a rim is known as a deep rim, and it is used in road
racing bicycles. With a deep rim, the thickness of the rim in the radial direction
is greater than the thickness of the rim in the lateral direction, and the inner peripheral
edge of the rim has a pointed cross sectional shape. If shoe holders having conventional
tire guide components are used on a deep rim such as this, because there is a lateral
surface to the rim that is further on the inner peripheral side than the portion where
the brake shoes come into contact, the convex component of the tire guide component
can sometimes come into contact with the rim lateral surface when the brake shoes
wear down. If the shoe holders are made from a metal such as aluminum and are harder
than the rim, then contact between the convex components and the rim lateral surfaces
can scratch the rim lateral surfaces. If the rim is scratched and its strength compromised,
it must be replaced. If, on the other hand, the shoe holders are made from a resin
and are softer than the rim, then contact between the convex components and the rim
will cause the convex components to wear down, and their function of guiding the wheel
will be lost. In this case the entire shoe holder must be replaced, and the brakes
(e.g., shoe position) must be readjusted. This brake adjustment is time-consuming
and troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a bicycle braking shoe holder apparatus in accordance
with claim 1. In one embodiment of the present invention, a bicycle braking shoe holder
apparatus includes a support component for supporting a brake shoe, wherein the brake
shoe has a rim-contacting surface facing laterally inward. A tire guide component
having a tire guide portion extends laterally outward, wherein the tire guide portion
includes a tire guide surface formed at an inclined angle relative to the rim-contacting
surface. A protrusion member is disposed on the tire guide component and faces laterally
inward. The protrusion member preferably is formed from a material that is softer
than the material forming the wheel rim.
[0006] In a more specific embodiment, the protrusion member is detachably fastened to the
tire guide component. For example, the protrusion member may be screwed into the tire
guide component so that the protrusion member may be easily removed and replaced,
if necessary.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007]
Figure 1 is an oblique view of a bicycle caliper brake unit equipped with a particular
embodiment of a brake shoe holder according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a front view of the caliper brake unit shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a view taken along line III-III in Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0008] Figure 1 is an oblique view of a bicycle caliper brake unit equipped with a particular
embodiment of a brake shoe holder according to the present invention, and Figure 2
is a front view of the caliper brake unit shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1
and 2, the caliper brake unit has a brake arch 10, and a pair of left and right brake
shoe assemblies 11a and 11b mounted on the distal ends of the brake arch 10. The brake
arch 10 has a gate component 15, an inner brake arm 16 that is pivotably linked to
the basal end of the gate component 15, and an outer brake arm 17 that is pivotably
linked to the distal end of the gate component 15. With this caliper brake unit, unlike
with an ordinary one, the two arms 16 and 17 pivot around different pivot centers,
so a uniform and powerful force is obtained at the left and right brake shoes.
[0009] The gate component 15 is a rod-shaped member that is mounted at its basal end to
the front fork or seat stay (not shown) by a mounting bolt 18. The inner brake arm
16 is pivotably supported by this mounting bolt 18. A support bolt 19 is threaded
into the distal end of the gate component 15, and the outer brake arm 17 is pivotably
supported by this support bolt 19.
[0010] The inner brake arm 16 is a Y-shaped member, the upper end of which is provided with
a casing stopper 21 that stops the outer casing 20 of the brake cable. The lower end
of the Y-shaped branch is provided with a holder mounting component 22b that is used
to mount the right (the left side in Figure 2) brake shoe assembly 11b. The other
end of the Y-shaped branch is provided with the support component 23 of the mounting
bolt 18.
[0011] The outer brake arm 17 is a C-shaped member, the lower end of which is provided with
a holder mounting component 22a that is used to mount the left (the right side in
Figure 2) brake shoe assembly 11a. The other end is provided with a cable stopper
25 that is used to stop the distal end of the inner cable 24 of the brake cable. The
support component 26 of the support bolt 19 is provided at the upper portion of the
holder mounting component 22a of the outer brake arm 17. The two arms 16 and 17 are
energized toward the brake release side (the direction in which the two arms open)
by springs (not shown).
[0012] The pair of left and right brake shoe assemblies 11a and 11b are assembled in a mirror-image
relationship, and they have holder mounting bolts 30a and 30b, shoe holders 31a and
31b, and brake shoes 32a and 32b that are detachably mounted to the shoe holders 31a
and 31b. In the following description, only the members on the left side will be described,
and the description of the members on the right side will be omitted.
[0013] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the holder mounting bolt 30a is passed through a slot
33a formed in the holder mounting component 22a. A flat stop nut 34a that is positioned
inside the shoe holder 31a is threaded onto the holder mounting bolt 30a, which results
in the mounting of the shoe holder 31a on the holder mounting component 22a. The shoe
holder 31a is a member made from an aluminum alloy. Shoe holder 31a has a support
component 35a that is used to support the brake shoe 32a, and a tire guide component
36a that extends downward (toward the wheel center) from the support component 35a.
The support component 35a is a rod-shaped member that is longer in the peripheral
direction of the rim 5 (Figure 2), and it detachably supports the back side of the
brake shoe 32a. A support groove 40a that is used to support the brake shoe 32a is
formed on the lateral surface on the rim 5 side of the support component 35a. The
support groove 40a is a groove formed along the peripheral direction of the rim 5,
and vertically opposing protrusions 41a are formed at the opening thereof.
[0014] The tire guide component 36a is a member that guides the wheel 4 (Figure 2) into
the brake arch 10. The tire guide component 36a has a flat guide 45a that is integrally
molded with the support component 35a, and a protrusion member 46a that is fastened
by a screw to the rim 5-side lateral surface of the guide 45a. The distal end of the
guide 45a extends from the support component 35a and away from the rim 5. The protrusion
member 46a is a round-
head screw made of acetal resin, preferably polyacetal resin (POM), which is softer
than the rim 5, and it is threaded into a screw hole 47a, which goes through the guide
45a, with its head sticking out from the lateral surface facing the rim.
[0015] The brake shoe 32a is a member made of rubber that extends in the peripheral direction
of the rim 5, and on the upper and lower surfaces on the back side thereof are formed
a pair of upper and lower grooves 50a that engage with the protrusions 41a of the
support groove 40a formed in the support component 35a. These grooves 50a are aligned
with the protrusions 41a, and the brake shoe 32a is slid into the support component
35a, which results in the mounting of the brake shoe 32a to the support component
35a. Also, three longitudinal grooves 51a are formed at some distance apart on the
braking surface side. These vertical grooves 51a are formed in order to remove any
water or other foreign matter that may adhere to the rim 5 and to remove abrasion
dust. A stop screw 48a (Figure 1) that is used to limit the longitudinal movement
of the brake shoe 32a is attached to the support component 35a from the back surface
side toward the back of the brake shoe 32a. A groove (not shown) which engages the
distal end of this stop screw 48a is formed on the back of the brake shoe 32a.
[0016] With a caliper brake unit structured in this manner, when the inner cable 24 is pulled
by means of the brake lever provided to the handlebar, the arms 16 and 17 swing toward
the rim 5, the brake shoes 32a and 32b are pressed against the rim 5, and braking
is thereby applied. When the brake lever is returned to its original position, the
arms 16 and 17 are swung to the other side (the brake release side) by springs (not
shown), and the braking is released.
[0017] After the brakes have thus been applied a number of times, the brake shoes 32a and
32b begin to wear down. When the brake shoes 32a and 32b wear down, if the rim 5 is
a deep rim as shown in Figure 2, then the distal ends of the protrusion members 46a
and 46b come into contact with the lateral surfaces of the rim 5. However, if the
rim 5 is made from a carbon fiber-reinforced resin, for example, it is not scratched
since it is harder than a polyacetal resin. Therefore, the protrusion members 46a
and 46b are worn down by their contact with the rim 5. When this wear reaches the
point where the protrusion members 46a and 46b no longer guide the wheel 4 during
wheel mounting, then the protrusion members 46a and 46b must be replaced. In the replacement
of the protrusion members 46a and 46b, the worn protrusion members 46a and 46b are
taken out from the screw holes 47a and 47b in tile guides 45a and 45b, and the new
protrusion members 46a and 46b are threaded into the screw holes 47a and 47b. In this
case, there is no need to take off the shoe holders 31a and 31b, so replacement of
the protrusion members 45a and 45b does not necessitate the readjustment of the brakes.
[0018] While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present invention,
further modifications may be employed without departing from the scope of the present
invention. For example, the present invention can also be applied to the shoe holder
in a cantilever brake or another type of brake instead of a caliper brake, and the
tire guide component may be provided separately from the shoe holder. The configuration
of the protrusion members is not limited to round-head screws, and any configuration
is possible as long as it sticks out of the guide toward the rim. Instead of a structure
in which the brake shoe is detachably supported on the shoe holder, the brake shoe
may be integrally supported such that it cannot be detached. The same is true of the
protrusion member.
[0019] Thus, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the specific structures
disclosed. Instead, the true scope of the invention should be determined by the following
claims.
1. A bicycle braking shoe holder apparatus comprising:
a support component (35a) for supporting a brake shoe (32a), wherein the brake shoe
(32a) has a surface facing laterally inward which is engageable with the rim of a
wheel of said bicycle; and
a tire guide component (36a) fixed to said support component (35a) and having a tire
guide portion (45a) extending laterally outward, wherein the tire guide portion includes
a tire guide surface formed at an inclined angle relative to the brake shoe surface;
characterised in that said apparatus further comprises a protrusion member (46a)
disposed on the tire guide component (36a) and facing laterally inward;
2. A bicycle braking shoe holder apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the protrusion
member (46a) is formed from a material that is softer than material forming the wheel
rim.
3. The apparatus according to either preceding claim wherein the support component (35a)
detachably supports the brake shoe (32a).
4. The apparatus according to either of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the support component (35a)
integrally supports the brake shoe (32a).
5. The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the protrusion member (46a)
is screwed into the tire guide component (36a).
6. The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the tire guide component (36a)
is formed as one piece with the support component (35a).
7. The apparatus according to Claim 1 or any claim dependent thereon wherein the tire
guide component (36a) includes an intermediate component disposed between the brake
shoe (32a) and the tire guide portion (45a) and wherein the intermediate component
is oriented substantially parallel to said rim-engageable surface of said brake shoe
(32a).
8. The apparatus according to Claim 2 or any claim when dependent thereon wherein the
tire guide component (36a) includes an intermediate component disposed between the
brake shoe (32a) and the tire guide surface, and wherein the intermediate component
is oriented substantially parallel to said rim-engageable surface of said brake shoe
(32a).
9. The apparatus according to either of Claims 7 or 8 wherein the protrusion member (46a)
is disposed at the intermediate component.
10. The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the protrusion member (46a)
is formed from polyacetal resin.
11. The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the protrusion member (46a)
is detachably fastened to the tire guide component.
1. Eine Fahrradbremsschuhhaltevorrichtung, die folgendes umfaßt:
eine Tragkomponente (35a) zum Tragen eines Bremsschuhs (32a), wobei der Bremsschuh
(32a) eine seitlich nach innen gerichtete Oberfläche aufweist, welche die Felge eines
Rades des Fahrrades angreifen kann; und
eine an der Tragkomponente (35a) angebrachte Reifenführungskomponente (36a), die einen
seitlich nach außen verlaufenden Reifenführungsabschnitt (45a) aufweist, wobei der
Reifenführungsabschnitt eine Reifenführungsoberfläche beinhaltet, die in einem geneigten
Winkel bezüglich der Bremsschuhoberfläche gebildet ist;
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß diese Vorrichtung einen überragenden Teil (46a) umfaßt,
der an der Reifenführungskomponente (36a) angebracht und seitlich nach innen gerichtet
ist;
2. Fahrradbremsschuhhaltevorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei der überragende Teil (46a)
aus einem Material hergestellt ist, das weicher ist als das Material der Radfelge.
3. Vorrichtung gemäß einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Tragkomponente (35a)
den Bremsschuh (32a) abnehmbar trägt.
4. Vorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei die Tragkomponente (35a) den Bremsschuh
(32a) integral trägt.
5. Vorrichtung gemäß einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der überragende Teil (46a)
in die Reifenführungskomponente (36a) geschraubt ist.
6. Vorrichtung gemäß einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Reifenführungskomponente
(36a) mit der Tragkomponente (35a) als ein Teil gebildet ist.
7. Vorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 1 oder einem der davon abhängigen Ansprüche, wobei die
Reifenführungskomponente (36a) einen Zwischenteil umfaßt, der zwischen dem Bremsschuh
(32a) und dem Reifenführungsabschnitt (45a) angebracht ist, und wobei der Zwischenteil
im wesentlichen parallel zu der mit der Felge angreifbaren Oberfläche des Bremsschuhs
(32a) gerichtet ist.
8. Vorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 2 oder einem der davon abhängigen Ansprüche, wobei die
Reifenführungskomponente (36a) einen zwischen dem Bremsschuh (32a) und der Reifenführungsoberfläche
angebrachten Zwischenteil umfaßt, und wobei der Zwischenteil im wesentlichen parallel
zu der mit der Felge angreifbaren Oberfläche des Bremsschuhs (32a) gerichtet ist.
9. Vorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 7 oder 8, wobei der überragende Teil (46a) am Zwischenteil
angeordnet ist.
10. Vorrichtung gemäß einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der überragende Teil (46a)
aus Polyacetalharz gebildet wird.
11. Vorrichtung gemäß einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei der überragende Teil (46a)
abnehmbar an der Reifenführungskomponente angebracht ist.
1. Un dispositif de retenue de patin de freinage pour bicyclette comprenant :
un composant de support (35a) destiné à supporter un patin de frein (32a), dans lequel
le patin de frein (32a) présente une surface exposée latéralement vers l'intérieur
pouvant se mettre en prise avec la jante d'une roue de ladite bicyclette ; et
un composant de guidage de pneu (36a) fixé audit composant de support (35a) et présentant
une portion de guidage de pneu (45a) s'étendant latéralement vers l'extérieur, dans
lequel la portion de guidage de pneu comporte une surface de guidage de pneu formée
à un angle incliné par rapport à la surface de patin de frein ;
caractérisé en ce que ledit dispositif comprend de plus un élément de saillie (46a)
disposé sur le composant de guidage de pneu (36a) et exposé latéralement vers l'intérieur
;
2. Un dispositif de retenue de patin de freinage pour bicyclette selon la revendication
1 dans lequel l'élément de saillie (46a) est formé à partir d'un matériau qui est
plus tendre que le matériau formant la jante de la roue.
3. Le dispositif selon l'une ou l'autre revendication précédente dans lequel le composant
de support (35a) supporte le patin de frein (32a) de façon à ce qu'il puisse être
retiré.
4. Le dispositif selon l'une ou l'autre des revendications 1 ou 2 dans lequel le composant
de support (35a) supporte le patin de frein (32a) de façon solidaire.
5. Le dispositif selon n'importe quelle revendication précédente dans lequel l'élément
de saillie (46a) est vissé dans le composant de guidage de pneu (36a).
6. Le dispositif selon n'importe quelle revendication précédente dans lequel le composant
de guidage de pneu (36a) et le composant de support (35a) sont formés en un seul bloc.
7. Le dispositif selon la revendication 1 ou n'importe quelle revendication qui en dépend,
dans lequel le composant de guidage de pneu (36a) comporte un composant intermédiaire
disposé entre le patin de frein (32a) et la portion de guidage de pneu (45a) et dans
lequel le composant intermédiaire est orienté de façon sensiblement parallèle par
rapport à ladite surface dudit patin de frein (32a) pouvant se mettre en prise avec
la jante.
8. Le dispositif selon la revendication 2 ou n'importe quelle revendication lorsqu'elle
en dépend, dans lequel le composant de guidage de pneu (36a) comporte un composant
intermédiaire disposé entre le patin de frein (32a) et la surface de guidage de pneu,
et dans lequel le composant intermédiaire est orienté de façon sensiblement parallèle
par rapport à ladite surface dudit patin de frein (32a) pouvant se mettre en prise
avec la jante.
9. Le dispositif selon l'une ou l'autre des revendications 7 ou 8 dans lequel l'élément
de saillie (46a) est disposé au niveau du composant intermédiaire.
10. Le dispositif selon n'importe quelle revendication précédente dans lequel l'élément
de saillie (46a) est formé à partir de résine polyacétale.
11. Le dispositif selon n'importe quelle revendication précédente dans lequel l'élément
de saillie (46a) est assujetti au composant de guidage de pneu de façon à pouvoir
être retiré.